Chapter 370 - 370 345

Words : 1876 Updated : Oct 9th, 2025

370: 345 370: 345 “Hey! That’s it! We can go to Imperial University! They have a music academy, and my sister Shi Qing’er is studying there!” Shi Bi’er suddenly came up with the idea and then told Liu Hun. To be honest, Shi Bi’er’s suggestion inevitably reminded Liu Hun of the time when he first met Li Qianqing; the music academy should have what he needed. The next day, when the two arrived at the music academy’s recording studio, Liu Hun realized the so-called professionalism of the equipment Shi Qing’er had mentioned. “Hey! What’s with those expressions! This equipment is quite professional!” Shi Qing’er was very dissatisfied with their reactions. “This is all low-end educational equipment, and it’s only suitable for recording folk music at best,” Liu Hun bluntly told Shi Bi’er. “What should we do now?” Shi Bi’er asked Liu Hun. “Let’s go check out the band’s situation first,” Liu Hun said to the two women. The three of them arrived at the concert hall and saw the band rehearsing. The five members of the band naturally screamed in surprise when they saw Shi Bi’er, taking photos and asking for autographs—it was quite the commotion for a good while. “How about that, the band’s not too shabby, huh? And they’re for free,” Shi Qing’er said with a hint of slyness on her face. She clearly knew that these students idolized celebrities, so she took good advantage of it. Liu Hun frowned deeply, the band wasn’t meeting his expectations, and the studio equipment was even less suitable. If they were to forcefully use this equipment, the second half of Shi Bi’er’s album would suffer a severe drop in quality compared to the first half, undoubtedly impacting sales and potentially tarnishing Shi Bi’er’s reputation through rumors and hearsay. “Hey! Liu Hun! What’s your deal? What’s with the dissatisfaction? How do you want it to be perfect? It’s just singing, right? Want me to sing for you? La la la la la...” Shi Qing’er vented her displeasure at Liu Hun. She had arranged the studio and the band overnight, investing a lot of effort and time, and now this expressionless guy seemed to be giving her an attitude—she was not pleased. Liu Hun, who had been in a daze, suddenly locked eyes with Shi Qing’er, staring intently at her. “Hey... what are you doing?” Shi Qing’er’s cheeks turned red, feeling shy and flustered as she asked Liu Hun. “I want you to sing!” Liu Hun blurted out. “What? You want me to sing? Have you not woken up yet, Mr. Expressionless?” Shi Qing’er didn’t understand what Liu Hun meant, but she felt a twinge of disappointment since Liu Hun didn’t mean it. “Liu Hun, what do you mean by having Qing’er sing?” Shi Bi’er also asked, not understanding his point. Liu Hun spoke seriously to the two sisters, “We’re pressed for time now, and you have seen the situation—it’s really bad. The equipment and band we can use are just this, and if we record the remaining five songs with this equipment, there will definitely be a huge discrepancy in quality. You know what consequences that could lead to without me saying anything.” Shi Bi’er’s face turned grave. She understood what Liu Hun meant. If they forced the recording of the last five songs, there would be a stark contrast between the divine first half and the childish-sounding second half. “What do you mean by having Qing’er sing?” Shi Bi’er was still puzzled. Liu Hun continued to explain to Shi Bi’er, “Given this situation, the best quality music we can produce is folk music. If you sing all the songs, criticism and nitpicking are inevitable. So, I was thinking you could sing one, you and Shi Qing’er can do two duets, and finally, let Shi Qing’er sing two on her own.” “But Shi Qing’er isn’t a singer,” Shi Bi’er said, caught in her habitual way of thinking. She felt only professional singers in the industry should release albums. “Then let’s make her a singer! I’ll be her agent! Let her debut! Bi’er, trust me, with me by her side, Shi Qing’er will become the brightest new star in the music world!” Liu Hun promised Shi Bi’er. “Qing’er debuting...” Shi Bi’er silently turned her head to look at her sister. In that moment, Shi Qing’er could hardly contain her excitement and joy. She jumped up, grabbed Liu Hun’s shoulders, and said, “Mr. Expressionless! You have to keep your word! My sister is here; you can’t bluff me in front of her!” “Rest assured, I, Liu Hun, always keep my promises!” Liu Hun assured Shi Qing’er. He thought it was a plan that killed three birds with one stone: it would resolve Shi Bi’er’s current predicament, introduce Shi Qing’er as a new artist, and most importantly, fulfill his bet with Han Qishan. Shi Qing’er would be the fresh new talent he crafted! Seeing her sister’s excitement, Shi Bi’er was also very happy; she knew full well that her sister also dreamt of becoming a star and had expressed her envy more than once. Moreover, she remembered talking about Liu Hun to her sister, who was mostly dismissive and disdainful. But now, it seemed to be a different story. The five students, upon seeing their idol, were so excited that they were at a loss for words. Starting with photos and autographs, moving on to hugs, and only then did they begin the rehearsal. Only after they started, did Liu Hun realize how weak the students’ fundamentals were. After one song full of bumps and hitches, everyone lost confidence. “Ah! We’re simply not cut out for this! Our skill level isn’t up to par with the requirements for an ensemble performance!” Shi Bi’er’s lead vocalist, Gu Baicheng, said somewhat deflated. The band members, hearing Gu Baicheng speak like this, also started to look listless, and the team’s morale plummeted even further. “Hey! How can you all give up like this! Show some fighting spirit! You can’t just give up! This is your chance to showcase yourselves! You must seize it!” Shi Qing’er yelled urgently at everyone in the band, disapproving of their mood. “But... What’s the use of fighting spirit if we lack the ability? Maybe with slow and steady practice we could get there, but to start producing mature music right away, we just can’t do it,” Gu Baicheng expressed his thoughts, knowing that music isn’t just about talent, but also hard work. He continued to Shi Qing’er, “We’re very grateful for this opportunity to collaborate with the goddess, but... it doesn’t seem like we can create a miracle. I feel that if we continue, it’s just a waste of time.” “Hey! You’re giving up? You’re leaving?” Shi Qing’er could hardly tolerate these people who were ready to admit defeat without a fight. Seeing the five members seemingly ready to leave, her heart became incredibly anxious. “What else can we do? Are you saying there could still be a miracle?” Gu Baicheng asked, disheartened. “Yes! There is a miracle!” Liu Hun, who had been sitting in the audience, walked up at this point. “Agent Liu, to be honest, I don’t believe it,” Gu Baicheng told Liu Hun straightforwardly. Liu Hun stepped forward and extended his right hand to Gu Baicheng, saying, “Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Liu Hun, Shi Bi’er’s agent, and I am capable of anything!” Gu Baicheng shook hands with Liu Hun, feeling that Liu Hun was somewhat boastful. Black Dragon Power! Skill Transfer! Liu Hun transferred all the skills he had borrowed from Square Band to this campus band and then said to the five people, “After listening to my introduction, you might think I’m boasting, but I just want to say one thing: pick up your instruments, and you will see a miracle! Because I am Liu Hun! Begin!” As Liu Hun said this, he stepped aside again and the campus band, skeptical, picked up their instruments once more. The flawless harmonies, so astounding that even the singer Shi Bi’er, who was well-versed in music, couldn’t believe it, let alone Shi Qing’er, who could also discern the massive difference between the two performances. A song was completed, and everyone looked incredulously at Liu Hun. Liu Hun smiled, which was rare for him, and said, “See? Do you believe it now?” “It’s simply incredible. I always thought the media just hyped you up, but it’s true! How did you do it?” Excitement and exhilaration were written all over Gu Baicheng’s face. Of course, Liu Hun couldn’t reveal his secret. He merely said, “A special kind of psychological suggestion! Keep going! You can definitely do it!” In just three days, Liu Hun had successfully recorded the remaining five songs according to his vision. A perfect sample album lay before him. As for Shi Qing’er’s execution, it was nothing short of stunning. Her voice, born to interpret folk songs, coupled with a demure and tranquil face that was markedly different from Shi Bi’er’s, convinced Liu Hun that it would conquer the market. With only one week left, Liu Hun had to accomplish the last and most challenging task, namely, finding a record company that could release the album. As a studio, they were not yet qualified to do so. This time, Liu Hun was wiser, not calling the world to let others know his progress and next steps. After making some inquiries and doing some research, he settled on a record company called Yinyue Company. After carefully comparing this company with others, he concluded that although Yinyue was an established record label, it never really had a chance to shine due to the suppression from a few industry giants, and its newly-publicized financial reports suggested some cash flow issues. Any problem that money could solve was not a problem at all, at least in Liu Hun’s current view. Liu Hun arrived at Yinyue Company as scheduled, and after being directed by the receptionist, he sat in the waiting room. Soon, a man in his thirties in a business suit came in. “Hello! I am Wang Ting, the client agent from Yinyue Company.” Wang Ting introduced himself to Liu Hun politely and then had his secretary serve Liu Hun a cup of coffee. “Hello, I am Liu Hun, the agent for Miss Shi Bi’er,” Liu Hun introduced himself in return. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Wang Ting got straight to the point, “I never expected the national goddess to come to a small company like ours for her album release. It is truly an honor beyond this life.” “Manager Wang, you’re too kind. What requirements does your company have for releasing an album?” Liu Hun asked Wang Ting, obviously wanting to understand the process in detail. “With the national goddess approaching us, how could we have any requirements? Everything follows the industry’s longstanding norms, but...” Wang Ting said, his face showing some difficulty. “But what? Please feel free to speak, Manager Wang,” Liu Hun urged Wang Ting.

Chapter 370 - 370 345

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